The Wolf Prince
by Peacewish
Summary: Betrayal, dark magic, and royal intrigue all swirl around a simple peasant girl. Can a chance meeting alter a kingdom's fate? The classic fairy tale rewritten.
1. Default Chapter

Topic: You're living a fairy tale.

Genre: Fantasy/action/romance  
Canon: AU

Rating: PG-13  
Length: six chapters  
Special Requirements: Put any or all characters inside a familiar story, fairy or otherwise. Any scenario is acceptable, e.g. another school play, a dream, a magical situation ala-Alice in Wonderland, an AU-setting, take your pick.

'**the wolf prince'**

_Once upon a time, in a land far from this one, lived a good king and queen who ruled their kingdom fairly. Though Chapeyne was small, it hosted a wealth of merchants and its people were prosperous. They loved their king and all rejoiced when the Li dynasty's future was assured in the birth of a son._

_All but one. The jealous younger brother of the king desired the throne, and in secret plotted to take it. In his ambition he turned to the dark arts, honing his skills as a sorcerer, and for years sowed support among the noble familes. On a dark, dark moonless night, with hardly a whisper of warning, he and his friends took the palace by force. Both king and queen were assassinated, and the young prince – scarcely into his teens – barely escaped with his life. No one ever saw him again, and those who didn't think him dead assumed he'd fled the kingdom in exile. _

_Only the prince and his uncle knew better._

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It was three years after the coup that day that the sun rose over the forest, its gold light spilling on the tiny village of Tomoeda and one cabin in particular. The weather was chilly in the mornings, still so early in the season, but the sky was blue and the air fresh. It promised to be a fine day.

Sakura hardly had time to appreciate that, however, before the water had sloshed to the brim of her bucket and she was scurrying back inside her cabin, splashing both water and apologies about in equal quantities.

"Sorry! The tea will be ready soon, I promise. So sorry, just a few moments…" Hurriedly she poured the liquid into the waiting kettle and managed to get a lot of it on the fire as well. A cloud of steam bloomed and she coughed, waving her hand in front of her face. Chin in one hand, her brother watched from the table with a rather wry expression.

"Wouldn't it have been better to boil the water before you started breakfast?"

"I was really busy and I forgot!"

"Really busy running around, anyway."

"You should have woken me earlier," Sakura huffed, spooning potato hash onto their plates.

"I did," came the withering reply. "You ignored me and went back to sleep."

Sakura scowled and chose not to reply. Luckily, her father tasted her cooking at that moment and smiled.

"It's delicious, Sakura, thank you."

"Thank you, Tou-san!" She beamed, and Touya muttered something under his breath that she ignored. "Will you teach today?"

"Yes, we still have some time before spring planting. Before long, though, I'll be going to the city."

Sakura's face fell, and she turned her attention to the kettle to hide it. Schoolteaching might be an honorable profession but it was a risky one, living in the countryside as they did. Farmers depended on their children to help in the fields, and her father had taken to spending months at a time in the capital city, teaching the children of rich familes. The money was good but she missed him terribly, particularly since it meant living alone with her bossy brother.

"And you, Touya? What will you do today?"

"I have work. Robertson hired me to help him repair his old barn today. It will take until evening."

"Wonderful. What about your plans, Sakura?"

"Umm… the mushrooms have begun to sprout, after all that rain. I thought I'd go hunting for some in the forest."

"No, you won't," her brother said without hesitation, his voice absolutely authoritative. Sakura shot him an exasperated look.

"I wasn't asking for your permission, Nii-chan. I wasn't even talking to you."

"I don't care, you're not going. It's not safe."

"You often took me when we were children!"

"A few things have happened in the kingdom since then," Touya pointed out. "Thieves are starting to hide out there in the woods, I heard it from the men. You are not going."

"But I want to. It's going to be a nice day, I don't want to spend it doing chores in the house."

"Tou-san, tell Sakura she's not going into the forest."

"Tou-san, you tell my brother that he can't tell me what to do."

Both children looked at him expectantly, and Fujitaka cleared his throat. "Sakura, I think the water's begun to boil."

"Oh! Sorry."

"I'm sure Touya's right, Sakura, the deep forest is probably not very safe these days. I'd feel better if you didn't go there."

"Thank you," Touya muttered.

"But it can't do any harm to go looking for mushrooms near the edge. I'm sure if she stays close to the village she'll be fine."

Touya looked dismayed, and Sakura perked up. "Thank you, Tou-san! I really will stay close, and make sure to be careful."

"I know you will."

She couldn't resist shooting a smug look at Touya when she poured his tea, and he growled unhappily. But as long as their father was home, his word was final. She really did dread his departure to the city.

- - - - - -

Fujitaka took his leave shortly after breakfast, to spend the day in the village schoolhouse. Touya stomped off in the other direction, throwing a few more 'be careful's over his shoulder before he finally left her in peace. Now very eager to get going, Sakura hurried through the basic chores of cleaning their breakfast dishes and scattering feed among the hens, then collected her basket and a skin of cool water from the well. The sunshine was warm on her face and the spring breeze fresh, and with a tuneless song on her lips she skipped into the woods.

Sakura enjoyed her walks in the forest. No matter what her brother said she felt it was a very nice place, and away from human eyes she could act however she pleased. Her nonsense song grew louder as she danced between the trees, laughing at how the squirrels ran in alarm, and daringly unlaced her shirt collar when she became hot. Eventually she remembered her task, and when she found the creek where she usually gathered mushrooms she began to scout. A few here and there, but if she walked upriver there were bound to be more. Still singing, she did exactly that. Sakura was a sixteen year-old girl who'd lived her entire life in the small confines of her village, carrying about each day as she had the one before. She breathed routine, and had no cause to think anything about this day would be different from the rest.

The simple routine and carefree song died the moment she saw the men. She'd come very close to them unawares, though no doubt they'd heard her coming, and stopped short in her skipping. Once their eyes had met they both stood, first one and then the other, leaning casually against a couple of trees.

"Hello," Sakura said politely, when the quiet had become awkward. They were staring so, and something in their eyes made her nervous. "It's a fine day."

"Is indeed," one of them drawled, and his gaze crawled down her body. Sakura clutched her collecting basket to her chest and averted her eyes, thoroughly uncomfortable now. Her gaze happened to fall upon a few canvas bags just behind his feet, coins spilled onto the grass underneath, and her brother's words flew through her mind. _Thieves, hiding in the forest._

Maybe this was a bad idea after all. Sakura took half a step back, some insincere 'excuse me' forming on her tongue, but she was never given the chance to say it. At the motion the closest one bolted forward and closed an iron grip around her wrist, almost yanking her off her feet. Everything in her hands hit the ground and Sakura shrieked. Panicking, she tried without success to pry his hand off her arm but her efforts were futile – he was clearly stronger than she was. He laughed, and the other one laughed too. Almost casually he pulled her closer, and cupped her breast in his right hand.

Too terrified to do anything else, she screamed. He laughed again, and there was a blur of movement to her left. Something large and brown slammed into her attacker, and his laughter turned into a scream more terrified than her own. Released, Sakura stumbled two steps back and fell heavily on her rear. Paralyzed by fright, she watched the thief hit the earth under the weight of an exceptionally large wolf. Again he screamed, hysterically, thrashing and kicking in desperation, but the snarling wolf was too heavy to fight off. Its teeth found the man's throat and the scream died in a thick gurgle.

Stunned and horrified, his partner finally had the presence of mind to grab his sword and take a swing at the wolf. Too quick for him, the predator darted off its victim and circled the man, keeping a wary distance when he swung around to follow. It snarled again and the thief shouted, waving the tip of the blade threateningly to keep it at bay. Again the wolf circled him, forcing the man to keep turning, then again, but still couldn't get close. With a sudden burst of speed it dashed to the side and the thief swung wildly to follow. His blade bit into the trunk of a tree with a solid thunk, and for just a few seconds his weapon was trapped. He hardly had time to realize this before he too hit the ground, and the wolf never gave him time to scream.

Sakura still hadn't moved, huddled on the grass and trembling. Some tiny rational part of her mind knew that she should have run while the wolf was occupied with that thief, but she didn't have the nerve to try and now it was too late. Just five steps away, the wolf raised its head and looked right at her. Blood had stained its muzzle.

Her lungs hurt from not breathing. Would it hurt? Would it be quick? Would they ever find her body? For an age she waited, gaze helplessly locked with the wolf's, expecting death to leap at any second.

It didn't. After what seemed forever, the wolf loped back into the underbrush and disappeared. Sakura blinked at the unexpectedness of it, but still didn't dare breathe. Where did it go? Was it circling around her, preparing to attack from behind? A breeze rustled the tree leaves and her skin prickled; without moving she tried to see everything around her. The forest was silent, save the whispering leaves and the trickle of the creek, and there was no movement.

Gone?

Still watching?

_Get out._

Trying to move without moving, Sakura pushed herself off the grass as slowly as a growing flower. Her muscles protested but she hardly felt the pain, still intent on breathing as little as possible. Legs unfolded to a standing position, and still no attack. She took a small step. No sound, no movement. Another step, then another. Zero reaction.

If she could just walk all the way home as softly as this, it would be okay. Clinging to that hope, Sakura tiptoed back the way she'd come, cringing every time her shoes made a scuffing noise in the dirt. And for many minutes she did well, the absolutely quiet forest relaxing her guard. She was going to make it, she was going to get out of here –

A burst of activity in the bushes scattered her thoughts and Sakura lost her head completely, bolting along the path with the trees of the forest whisking past her. It was only a pair of squirrels chasing one another up the trunk, she knew that, but now that she'd started running she just couldn't stop, didn't dare look back for fear she'd see a giant wolf sprinting behind her. It was close, surely it was close, it would catch her and eat her and they'd never find her…

The trees thinned and her cabin hove into view, like a beckoning haven. Lungs burning, skirt flapping madly, Sakura pounded to the door and slammed it shut behind her. Only then did she collapse to the floor in sobs, exhausted and terrified. And though there was no sign of any wolf through their tiny window, she didn't dare go outside again for the rest of the day.

- - - - - - - - -

By the time afternoon melted into evening, Sakura had decided she wouldn't tell her family what happened. Touya would throw a fit and tell her to never go near the forest again, and even though the thought of those woods terrified her now, the last thing she wanted was for him to know he'd been right. And it would only make her father worry, when he did so much of that already. Resolved, she greeted her family upon their return with an elaborate and well-made stew, and a house full of freshly washed linens. Mushrooms? Oh, couldn't find any. She commented that she would spend the next day working on her garden, and both men seemed satisfied. But that night when she slept, her dreams were haunted by bloodstained muzzles and sharp white teeth.

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters

As you can see, this began as a simple challenge response but has grown into something a little too lengthy for that. The story might be trite and a little underdeveloped, compared to any full-length fic, but it's long enough that I thought I'd post it separately instead of with Shrine Work. (Everybody understands that I only had a week to plan and write this, right? Please stop comparing it to my full-length stories!)


	2. ch2 interest

**Chapter 2**

'**interest'**

For all the next week Sakura didn't take one step towards the forest. Her close call – both of them – made her shiver and break out in a cold sweat all over again every time she let herself think about it. The way those men looked at her, and touched her, triggered a spasm of nausea that had nothing to do with sickness. She couldn't quite put words to what they wanted, but she knew it anyway. It was the fear lacing her brother's dark glare whenever she spoke to boys from her village, the reason he took pains to make sure she was never out alone after sunset. They would have hurt her terribly, those men, if the wolf hadn't saved- saved her?

Silly. Wild animals didn't 'save' people. That wolf killed the men because that was what wolves did. It ripped open their throats like the dangerous predator it was… but why didn't it attack her? Not hungry anymore?

Sakura didn't think that was quite it. And the more she thought about it, the less terrified and more puzzled she became. How the wolf circled that thief, moving closer to the tree, and then goading that last attack. If she didn't know better she'd say it did that on purpose, that it deliberately planned it that way. But surely no wolf was that intelligent. Right? Sakura didn't know much more about the wild canines than any other girl in her village, and had no one to ask. She'd never even seen a live wolf so close before, and thought its coloring odd. The wolves in this forest tended to gray in their coats, not brown. And its brown eyes (to think that she'd looked a wolf right in the eyes!) were flecked with gold. Quite pretty, actually…

Sakura began to miss the forest. She missed walking under the trees and the freedom she'd always felt in its privacy. What happened was horrible, but it probably wouldn't happen again. Wolves and men avoided one another in the forest, they were creatures rarely seen. A once-in-a-million chance, she told herself, so she ought to be safe if she went back. This time, she really would stick close to the edge.

- - - - - -

And that's what she did, once she'd summoned the nerve to step underneath the leafy canopy once more. The squirrels frolicked overhead and the breeze rustled the leaves like always; nothing had changed. Sakura gathered mushrooms and wild herbs as she always had, and it was fine.

Maybe. Sakura had never been as sensitive to her environment as her brother, but every now and then an odd sensation tickled the back of her neck. She looked around and saw nothing every time, but she was beginning to get the feeling someone was watching her. It wasn't only the forest, either, even when washing linens outside her cabin or tending the garden the feeling would hit her and cause her to glance about nervously. Was she imagining it?

"Sakura," her brother said one morning, after several days had passed. She was spooning porridge into their plates, and didn't look up.

"What?"

"We have nine hens, right?"

"That's right, why?"

Touya shook his head, his brow wrinkled in concern. "Just checking. Believe it or not, we had a wolf in our yard last night."

Sakura almost dropped the ladle. "What?"

"There are tracks all over the yard, really big ones. I've never heard of a wolf coming so close to the village before… if it wasn't after the chickens, what was it doing?"

He was asking rhetorically, frowning at the view outside their window and not looking at her. He didn't see Sakura's blanche.

"Well, if it didn't kill any then no harm done, right?"

"I suppose." He shot her a sharp, commanding look. "But I want you to be extra careful, okay? I don't think a wolf would come around in the daytime, but just in case. And lock up the henhouse proper tonight."

"I will."

Her brother left the window and turned his attention to breakfast, but Sakura was feeling too queasy to eat. It had to be a coincidence. Wasn't it?

She didn't go into the forest that day. Instead she walked the short distance to her village's central square, and the small cluster of shops. Here she often visited her seamstress friends Tomoyo and Maki, but today she passed their shop. Sakura had no need of a dress or friendly chatter; indeed, she didn't think herself capable of it. The conversation with her brother left her stomach twisting and her thoughts in a whirl, she needed help. But who to ask?

She knew the answer before she'd even asked herself the question. The village healer frightened some, and there was no doubt she was a rather odd lady, but Miss Kaho had always smiled kindly at her. Sakura thought she was nice, though she'd never gone out of her way to speak to her. She had certainly never been to her tiny little shop, and it was with a great deal of uncertainty that she parted the braided curtain. Incense smoke made her cough.

"Come on in," the redhead offered, smiling cordially and stirring a cup of tea, as if Sakura popped by all the time. "Good morning, Sakura, how are you?"

"Er, fine, thank you. How are you?"

"I'm doing well. Please sit down." The only immediate furniture was a small round table and two chairs, and at the invitation Sakura edged onto one. "Cup of tea? It will relax you."

"Oh, yes please," Sakura answered immediately, so anxious to soothe her frayed nerves that she didn't even wonder how Kaho knew she needed it. Instead she took the opportunity to look around while the healer was occupied, intrigued. Miss Kaho obviously loved bells, there were so many of them. Large, handheld ones lined the wall shelves and tiny ones hung in spirals from the ceiling, tinkling now and then with the slight movement of air.

"There you go," Kaho said brightly, offering the promised cup before sitting and flashing another friendly smile. "Peppermint and honey, please tell me if it's not sweet enough."

"Thank you." Tentatively Sakura took a sip. "It's wonderful."

"And how is your brother?"

Sakura blinked at the unexpected question, but smiled. "Oh, he's fine."

"That's good. Your father?"

"He's well."

"So if you're fine, and your family is too, then what brings you here today?"

"Um." Sakura lost her polite smile and occupied herself with another sip; the tea really was good. "I don't exactly know how to say it."

"That's all right, I'm not in any hurry."

"I think I must be crazy," Sakura mumbled, talking more into the teacup than to Kaho. "Lately, for several days, I've had such a strange feeling. Like I'm being watched. But when I look around, there's no one. I'm sure I'm being silly, but I just can't ignore it and it's driving me mad."

She felt a curious rush of relief after the words spilled out of her mouth, it felt so good to finally say it. Even if she was being silly.

Kaho, however, looked entirely sympathetic. "Have you told anyone?"

Sakura shook her head. "It's just a strange feeling, that's all."

"Well, I happen to believe in strange feelings. Are you finished?" She extended her hand for the small cup she'd just drained, and a slightly taken aback Sakura handed it over. For a few moments her hostess said or did nothing, studying the tea leaves in the bottom of her cup. Afraid to interrupt, Sakura kept silent.

At length Kaho stood and crossed the room, looking over her collection of bells, then returned to the table when she'd selected one. One flick of the wrist resulted in a low, soft chime and again Kaho examined her tea leaves.

"Hmm," was what she finally said, after the chime had faded away.

"Do you know who it is?" Sakura asked hopefully.

Kaho shook her head. "No, I don't. But you do."

Sakura's heart skipped a beat, and she swallowed. Wolf tracks…

"However," Kaho continued, "I see no malice. He does not mean you any harm."

"He?"

"He," Kaho repeated firmly, glancing again into her cup. "No harm, just… interest. I believe he's lonely. Perhaps he likes your kind smile." Kaho directed one of her own to Sakura, a comforting one. "A smile really does suit you best, Sakura, so please don't worry yourself sick. Something tells me that good will come of this."

"You see that in the leaves?"

"No, that's just a hunch." Kaho patted her hand. "I'm afraid that's all I can tell you. You know better than I what to do now."

"I do?"

She nodded, but said nothing more on the subject. "Please do have a good day today. And tell your brother I said hello."

It was clearly a dismissal. Feeling not much better than she had when entering the shop, Sakura thanked her and made her way home. Under the bright blue sky, the trees rustled invitingly.

I must be mad, Sakura thought, over and over again as she left her cabin. Absolutely mad, and her brother would surely agree. But still she left the cabin and entered the forest, collecting basket in one hand and leftover scraps of meat in the other. The blackberries had begun to ripen and Sakura particularly wanted a basketful, but she would not endure another moment of this secretive spying.

When she'd found a promising patch of bushes, she plucked up her nerve and did the craziest thing ever.

"Wolf?" Her voice seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet woods, and when there was no response she repeated herself even louder. "Wolf?"

She must have lost her mind. To think, that she would call out to a wild predator in the middle of the forest and actually expect him to appear –

He appeared. Almost immediately, which meant he'd been quite close. Even bigger than she remembered, he silently emerged from the underbrush and stayed there, exchanging his stare for hers.

"I- I think that I should say thank you," Sakura stammered, "for what you did. You saved me from those men, and I'm very grateful. I brought you this." She unwrapped the broad leaves, revealing a pile of meat scraps from their dinner that she would normally bury. Never taking her eyes off the wolf, she knelt and placed it on the grass, then quickly backed away. "So, please don't eat me."

His ear twitched, but for several long minutes he made no other move. He simply watched her, with an air that she could almost imagine to be appraising. At length, having decided that she must be sincere, he trotted closer. Hastily Sakura backed up, almost into the prickly vines behind her. He sniffed her present, and in one swift motion gulped down half of it. Sakura almost jumped at the sudden movement, confronted again with those rows of white teeth, but at least he'd taken it. Unable to look away, Sakura watched him devour the rest of their leftovers and then sniff the grass for any remnants. He looked her way again once he'd finished eating, but didn't come any closer. Instead, he made his way to the nearest tree and sat.

"So you still want to watch me, then?" Truly bizarre, but now that he was doing it openly Sakura felt relieved. At least she didn't have to worry about unseen eyes following her every move. Sitting there with his ears pricked up, panting slightly, his posture seemed so unthreatening. Kaho was right; strange as it was, this wolf meant her no harm.

"Well, okay. You can stay right there, and I'm going to pick berries now." Not quite sure why she was talking like she expected an answer, Sakura nodded and picked up her basket. For the rest of the morning she worked on filling it with berries, and though she always made sure to keep one wary eye on him the wolf never moved. When she'd picked all she wanted and set off for her cabin, he stood and followed. Some nervousness cropped up again, but he kept a healthy distance and she didn't try to run. And by the time she'd reached her cabin, he'd disappeared.

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The next time she returned to the forest, she took a shallow basketful of chicken giblets. Again she called out and again he appeared, as silently and quickly as the first time, consumed her gift, and watched while she picked plums from the low branches. After that Sakura always made sure to take some scraps of leftovers with her when she ventured into the forest, though she no longer worried that he would eat her if she forgot them. It simply became habit, as routine as the wolf's presence, and she'd even stopped keeping an eye on him as she worked. Neither did she have to call for him, after the first few times, several steps past the treeline and he would be there, trotting along several paces away and ready to follow her wherever she walked.

She wondered why, of course, but after so many days gave up the endless puzzling. A large wolf liked to keep her company and that was that; there was no use in worrying about it. She told no one, not even her best friend, because they would never understand. She didn't understand it herself, but she didn't let it keep her from meeting him in the woods.

So accustomed to him, was she, that she didn't even notice how the distance between them was lessening every session. The wolf's chosen sentry post got just a little closer every morning she spent in the woods, until one day she looked up from her groundnut gathering to find him an arm's length away.

Looking at those sharp teeth, now so close, Sakura's stomach fluttered nervously. But she was far from panicked, only perplexed.

"Why don't you eat me?" she asked, and received no answer. She wondered why she talked to him like she always expected one. "You're a very strange wolf, you know, you ought to spend time with other wolves instead of me. Don't you like your own kind?"

Again no reply, but the disconcertingly intelligent way he watched her as she spoke made her feel like he was following the conversation. Did he understand, somehow, that she was talking to him? This wolf was so very unusual.

"Would you… let me touch you?"

She couldn't believe her own words, once uttered; was she crazy? Touch a full-grown, wild and very dangerous wolf? But it couldn't be any crazier than sitting here talking to him, a helpless victim if he chose to attack. And the idea was so tempting, now that she'd thought of it. She wanted to.

Sakura abandoned rational caution and reached forward with one hand; slowly, so as not to startle him. Whether he understood or not he didn't move, not even looking away from her face as her hand drifted closer to his right flank. Timidly, as delicately as she'd stroke a newly hatched chick, Sakura's fingertips tickled his fur.

It was rougher than it looked, not as soft and fine as the fur of a sheepdog. But it still felt nice, and Sakura increased the pressure until she was actually petting him like she'd do for any domestic canine. A rhythmic thumping distracted her from her task, and when she saw his tail beating against the earth she almost laughed out loud. A wolf, wagging his tail!

He moved his head and she started at the feel of his cold nose on her skin, not having intended to put her hand anywhere near his mouth. But all he did was sniff, and she relaxed. Now her hand moved past his muzzle, patting the smooth fur between his ears, her fingertips unerringly scratching the itchy places just behind them. His tail wagged even faster, and Sakura thought she would bubble over with delight. She, Sakura Kinomoto, was _petting _a real live wolf. No one would ever believe it.

So she didn't tell them.

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.


	3. ch3 affection

**Chapter 3**

'**affection'**

After that, Sakura started going to the forest far more often than was necessary. Every day, if she could help it. The spring planting season was now well under way, and with Tomoeda's school dispersed her father had left for the city. Both children missed him, though Touya inevitably tried to substitute for her father by smothering her with rules and restrictions. Sakura suffered it in silence for once, and never mentioned any day trips to the woods for fear he'd outright ban them. She could tolerate her brother in the evenings if she spent the day under the trees, free as any wild animal and with the wolf to keep her company.

She was no longer shy about touching him. It became a greeting ritual to drop to her knees once he'd appeared, so that she could properly hug him and ruffle his fur, lavishing affection on her unusual friend. She'd learned that he especially liked to be scratched behind the ears and in the ruff along his jaw, and then finally under the chin. She needed no common language to know that he enjoyed her attentions, tail whipping back and forth as he lifted and turned his head to show her where. He'd even begun to lick her on the face, when she wasn't on guard against it, and afterwards she'd protest and wipe her skin with her sleeve but never really be mad. Actually, she thought it rather cute.

Hellos exchanged, Sakura would set out to tackle whatever particular chore waited. If she had none then she would simply wander, scouting for ripening fruit or picking flowers. She never had to worry about getting lost in the forest anymore; her companion was the best guide to be had and they'd both follow his nose home on a certain and straight path.

She was a little nervous, still, that she might have another encounter with bandits. The wolf saved her the first time but if men had arrows it could be dangerous for him. She worried even though she saw no one, but it didn't occur to her that she never met a soul because the wolf was making sure of it. At least, it didn't occur to her until he met her one morning with fur a little blood-spattered… and what might have been a strip of cloth fluttering between two teeth.

"I don't want to know," she told him firmly, and didn't think about it again. At least, not often.

- - - - - -

He was a wolf, of course, all the ear-scratching and tail-wagging notwithstanding. She heard it that night when the full moon rose over the treetops, provoking a lonely howl from somewhere in that black forest.

She couldn't remember ever hearing a wolf's howl so close before. Of course she knew it was him, there was no question of that. How eerie it was, his solitary cry in the night, rising up to the sky and then falling away, never quite stopping but fading into nothingness like the chime of a bell. As if drawn by the sound, Sakura opened the door and slipped outside, her bare arms freckling with goose bumps when he howled again. It was a cry of defiance, full of anger and fight. But when the sound began to fade it became sad. Sakura could not explain how that was, but standing there in the darkness his howling brought tears to her eyes. It was a sound filled with pain.

"Sakura." She jumped and whirled around to face her brother, standing in the doorway, though she could hardly see him against the gold blur from within. She blinked away the tears and prayed he could not see. "What are you doing out here? It's not safe."

"Don't be silly, brother, I'm just a few steps from the cabin. Nothing will come this close. I only wanted fresh air."

The wolf howled again and Touya frowned at the forest. "There it goes again. It sounds so close, I don't like it. Maybe I should wait up with a crossbow…"

"No!" Sakura almost shouted, and bit her tongue when he looked at her in surprise. "I mean, it could be dangerous. And besides, if you stay up all night you won't be able to work in the day. Now that Tou-san is gone, you have to." Her brother hesitated and Sakura smiled in the most reassuring way she could. "You don't want me to go hungry, do you?"

Touya rolled his eyes, but she knew she'd won. "You eat too much anyway, little monster."

"Don't call me that!"

"Come inside, before you catch a cold. Monster."

"Onii-chan!"

Sakura huffed and stamped a foot, but it was obvious he would not leave her alone out here. Whispering a soft goodnight to the wolf, she turned her back on the forest and went inside.

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Little by little, the days grew longer and warmer. Spring blossomed into early summer, as crops began to sprout their shoots and fruit swelled on the branches of trees. At night the sky became a velvety purple sprinkled with stars, and the moon rose large and pink over the trees. And every day was more beautiful than the last, the sky pure blue and a constant breeze rustling the leaves of the forest to keep Sakura cool. Even so she was puffing a little, trying to keep up with the wolf. They'd been walking for such a long time, and this day he'd taken her deeper into the woods than she'd ever been before.

"Can't we stop and rest for a little while? This clearing is just as nice as any other… hey, where are we going?" One question followed another with no answer, his steady trot never slowing, and after some while Sakura realized she could hear water flowing. "Hey, what's -"

The question stopped there when she followed him around an outcrop of boulders and found herself standing before an enchanting waterfall, flowing clear as crystal into the pond at her feet. Ferns and other waterloving plants had sprouted anywhere they could, between the rocks, reflecting in the pool's surface and turning it a soft shade of green. The picture was so lovely Sakura gasped in delight; she'd never dreamed such a place existed within the forest. And the day was so warm and no souls were near, now was a perfect time to bathe.

Eagerly Sakura pulled at the lace in her bodice and then moved to gather her skirt up. But in so doing her eyes fell upon the wolf, lapping up some water from the pond's edge. Thirst slaked, he backed away and sat, watching her.

Sakura hesitated. Modest though her upbringing was, there was no reason a female couldn't bathe once she was alone. There were no men about, there were no people about at all. Only a wolf, and what did an animal matter? It wasn't as if he knew, undressing before him shouldn't be an issue.

And yet, somehow, she just couldn't make herself do it. Wild animal or not, Sakura could not contemplate swimming with such an audience. Instead she settled for splashing her face and taking a cool drink, then settling herself in the shade of a tree. The soil just here must be very moisture-rich, and it bloomed with wildflowers. She gathered several, then leaned against the bark and began a flower chain. Only a few moments passed before the wolf sidled up next to her and lay down.

"Thank you for bringing me here," she murmured, and absentmindedly scratched behind his ears. "It's beautiful. But I just don't feel like swimming right now, so I'll do this."

His ears flicking back in her direction as she spoke was the only response. But even resting here in the shade was pleasant enough, and after a while she began to hum. The chain grew longer, and the wolf stretched and adjusted his position. This time he rested his head on her lap, and Sakura smiled drowsily. Such a perfect day… if only every day could be just like this. So… peaceful…

She felt disoriented, when she opened her eyes. The shadows were deep and dark, the pond pink with the reflection of the sky overhead. An incomplete flower chain and a large wolf were both on her lap, and finally an aghast Sakura realized what had happened.

"Ah! I fell asleep!" Startled by the sudden noise the wolf leapt to his feet, ears pricked warily, but Sakura paid him no attention. Flowers scattering to the earth, she jumped up and grabbed her collecting basket. The sun must be setting right now over the trees, she should have been home hours ago!

She put one foot forward but stopped short at the unexpected tug. Surprised and a little harried, Sakura saw the wolf had taken her skirt in his teeth.

"Stop it. I have to go now, there's no time to play." Impatiently she tugged at her skirt but the wolf didn't let go, digging his paws into the path and actually trying to pull her back. "Hey, stop that! You'll rip my skirt. Stop it, let go!"

His ears flattened at her sharp tone and he whimpered, his eyes full of pleading as he looked up. Instantly Sakura crumpled with sympathy. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I really do have to go. My brother will be worried, I have chores to do. I can't stay out here in the forest all night… I don't belong here."

As gently as she could she worked her skirt free of his grip, and this time he did not resist. And rushed as she was, Sakura was seized with a horrible guilt. Was the wolf so lonely, that he couldn't bear to see her go home? He must spend every night alone.

"I really am sorry, but I have to go." The shadows were growing deeper and before it could get completely dark Sakura set off at a fast pace, a walk that could almost be a run. The wolf loped easily beside her, showing her the way, for she could have never hoped to find her way home without him. But it was getting harder and harder to see and she knew she was just too late, that she was already in trouble. Anxious as she was to get home, when she heard her brother's voice calling for her a lump of dread formed in her throat. Maybe spending the night in the forest wasn't such a bad idea after all…

"Sakura! Sakura!"

"I'm here!" she called out. "I'm coming!"

"Sakura!" The immediate relief in his voice made her cringe, knowing how worried he must have been, and now she could hear him crashing through the bush in her direction. Quite unexpectedly, the wolf growled.

"Eh? What is it?"

The wolf was staring at the darkness between the trees from where her brother had called, and now his lips were pulled back in a deadly snarl.

"Sakura, where are you?" Her brother was coming closer.

"Shh, stop it! It's just my brother, he's not a bad person. He came to find me because I was late." The wolf didn't even look at her, that menacing growl still rumbling in his throat, and Sakura felt a twinge of fear for her brother. "He'll be here in a moment, you have to go now. He'd never understand if he saw you."

She could see his tall form in the shadows now, getting closer, and still the wolf hadn't moved. "Please! I promise I'll come see you tomorrow, just… please go now." Delicately she placed a hand on his back and he started, almost causing her to flinch. But the growl died off when he looked at her face, and with another undecided glance in Touya's direction he bolted. His tail had just disappeared into the bushes when Touya burst into the clearing.

"Sakura! There you are, where were you? Don't you know what time it is?" Sakura shrank under her brother's furious glare, clasping her hands apologetically.

"I'm so sorry, brother, I didn't mean to. I was gathering flowers and the sun was so warm… I fell asleep. It was an accident."

He huffed, not looking appeased. "I've told you before that these woods are no longer safe. And then you go and fall asleep in them? What if someone had come along? Or a wild animal?"

"Silly, nothing happened! I'm fine, can't you see?" As if she ever had to fear someone hurting her again, with the wolf nearby! Sakura smiled as charmingly as she could, praying her brother wouldn't ban her from the forest and content himself with only a scolding. He opened his mouth to speak and then hesitated, shooting a sharp glance at the underbrush. "What is it?"

"Nothing. Let's get home, it's late." He clapped a possessive hand on her shoulder and steered her back the way he'd come, surprising her by not speaking a single remonstrative word. But he kept looking over his shoulder the whole way home.

- - - - - -

"Sakura."

She rolled over in bed to see her brother, looking wide awake and very serious. He'd hardly spoken five words throughout all of dinner, scrubbing the dishes afterward, and then changing for bed. Now in the dark cabin, with only the moonlight in the window to illuminate his face, his black eyes bore into her and pinned her to the sheet. "You'd tell me if something happened, right?"

"What?" she asked lightly, feigning obliviousness, but he didn't seem put off.

"You're acting differently lately, you have a strange look in your eyes sometimes. And you're always disappearing. You're not meeting with a boy, are you?"

"No!" Sakura denied quickly, anxious to erase that fearful look from his expression. "No, I promise I'm not. Nothing's happened at all. Now I'm tired, so let me go to sleep."

She rolled over and tugged the sheets to her chin determinedly, ready to fake sleep even if she didn't feel the need for it. Touya, thankfully, chose not to pursue the conversation and after a moment felt him roll over to his side of the bed and lie still. But it was more than her afternoon nap keeping Sakura awake. He asked her if she was meeting with a boy and she said no, and that was the truth.

So why did she feel as though she'd lied to him?

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.


	4. ch4 hunter and prey

**Chapter 4**

'**hunter and prey'**

After what happened with her brother, Sakura became more careful. She declined to go deeper in the forest and stayed closer to the edge, apologizing profusely to the wolf when he whined. And once there, she was careful not to fall asleep. But still nothing kept her from visiting every day.

She was making plans to do just that, in the early afternoon of yet another calm summer day, while tending the chore of weeding her garden. The morning had been spent washing dishes and linens, tending to the chickens, and then preparing a small meal for her brother to eat when he came home for lunch. He'd eaten and then left again for his work rebuilding a neighbor's pig shed, and would not be home until the evening. As soon as she'd cleared out these weeds, she would assemble some leftovers and be off.

Her idle thoughts were interrupted by the staccato vibrations of hoofbeats, first felt through the earth and then eventually becoming audible as they drew closer. Horses? Surprised, Sakura looked up when a small crowd of horsemen rounded her cabin and halted at the forest's edge. These were not any men that she knew in her village, and had a rather unwelcoming look about them; all carried weapons of some type, bows and arrows or wickedly sharp lances with blades that gleamed in the sunlight. Their dress was rough, and nearly all of them wore some kind of animal pelt. Sakura stayed where she was, kneeling in the dirt, watching nervously and wondering who they were. Now that they'd reached the woods they'd all dismounted, but made no move to venture in. They seemed to be waiting.

She got an even bigger surprise with the next arrival. No batch of horsemen, but an elegant carriage rattled up the dirt path and then around her home, the driver directing his steeds as far as they could go before tugging on the reins.

A carriage! Sakura's eyes almst popped out of her head. No one, not even the richest citizen in her village, owned such a luxurious thing. It had to be from the city, but why would some rich noble come all the way out here? To her cabin? Amazed, she studied the fancy gold crest on the door and tried to remember where she'd seen such a symbol. It did seem familiar, somehow…

The driver dismounted his bench and opened the door.

"Your majesty."

Because it was the _royal_ crest. Sakura hadn't thought her eyes could get any bigger but they did just then, as the driver stepped back and respectfully saluted. The man that was her king, sovereign of Chapeyne, disembarked and stepped onto her family's land. He was a tall man, well-built and obviously powerful, his graying black hair pulled back at the nape of the neck and a beard to frame his square jaw. He was dressed simply, for a king, in a royal blue shirt and tan breeches that nevertheless looked to be of a high quality material and expensive. His interested gaze swept over the crowd of men and the forest beyond them, then settled on Sakura.

The _king_ was looking at her! She couldn't just stay down here in the dirt, she had to greet him properly. Hastily she jumped to her feet and curtsied, painfully aware of her grubby appearance and wishing she'd worn her nicer dress that day. But who could have ever guessed? Why was the king in her village at all, let alone her front yard?

"Well, well, well," he drawled, with a voice rich and deep. "What have we here? Come closer, girl."

Heart thumping, Sakura obeyed. Not sure if she should move quickly or gracefully, she settled on a compromise and took several short but fast steps until she was merely steps from the king. Was a commoner permitted to look into the eyes of the king? She kept her gaze on the ground just in case.

"Look up," he instructed, and she was quick to do so. Up close the man was even more intimidating, his gray streaks hardly comparing to the hard jaw and sharp black eyes. The king was terrifying to Sakura, but then his face cracked into a small smile. "It's a fine day."

Tongue-tied, she nodded.

"Do you have a name?"

"S-Sakura Kinomoto," she stuttered, then remembered to add "your majesty."

"Well, Sakura, had I known this part of the forest was home to such beautiful girls I would have visited sooner."

When his meaning sunk in Sakura blushed to the roots of her hair. The king called her beautiful! She had no idea how to answer, but the driver of the carriage saved her from it.

"Your majesty, shall I send out the hunters?"

The king nodded, eyes never leaving her face, and waved a brief hand of dismissal. At once the captain turned to the motley group and started barking orders to move in and fan out, leaving Sakura to wonder once more what was going on.

"I've come here today for sport," the king explained, upon seeing her puzzled expression, "hunting wolf."

And Sakura's elation took a sharp turn downward. "Wolf?" she repeated uneasily.

"Oh yes, it's a… peculiarity of mine. I'm seeking one in particular, a very large one with a coat that's more brown than gray. Have you ever seen such a wolf, Sakura?"

"No," she lied automatically, before her mind could catch up. "Your majesty. I… would be very frightened to see any wolf."

The king nodded understandingly. "Of course, of course, a pretty young maiden such as yourself ought never cross paths with a predator like that. Still, I've received reports matching his description from this corner of the woods, so I'm hopeful that today I'll finally catch him."

He grinned, a predatory glint in his eyes, and weakly Sakura returned the smile. She'd lied to her king, surely that must be a sin. If not a sin, then a terrible crime indeed. But the king was here to hunt the wolf, her wolf, and she would not betray her wild friend even to royalty.

But why? Why did the king want to hunt him at all?

"It would surely make the day more pleasant if I had a fair companion," the king was saying. He extended a hand and Sakura stared at it, blankly. "Won't you join me, in the forest?"

"Uh…" was her only response, her mind boggling. The king of all Chapeyne, ruler of her country, was asking her to accompany him. Every girl in her village would have given anything to take her place, but Sakura was hesitant. She did not want to join a man who was hunting the wolf.

And yet he was the king. How could she refuse him?

"I would be honored, your majesty. Please forgive me, I look frightful." Timidly she placed her hand on his and he grasped her fingers, pulling her even closer.

"Nonsense. There is hardly a lady in all my court with a face so lovely as yours." And with that he raised her hand and pressed his lips to it, igniting yet another furious blush. No one would ever believe this. "Then, shall we?"

"Yes, your majesty."

In one chivalrous gesture he swept an arm towards the forest, as if inviting her into her own woods, and started walking. She had to hurry to catch up.

- - - - - -

Though Sakura had been to the forest many times, this walk was certainly quite different from all the others. She'd never walked under the trees by the side of a king, and his idea of a 'hunt' was unlike any she'd ever heard. He carried no weapon, and walked along the path as easily as she would about her yard, engaging her in conversation without any worries of making noise. His captain scouted ahead and a pair of royal footsoldiers shadowed them by several paces, ready to protect their king if any danger presented itself, and behind them came still two more servants loaded down with baskets. The scruffy looking crowd of hunters had already dispersed throughout the trees to do the real work, and thinking about it kept Sakura from concentrating on the king's casual dialogue. Would they find him? No, surely not, her wolf was far too clever to let himself be caught.

"Do you often walk these woods, Sakura?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, but never too deep into the forest. I often hunt mushrooms or pick fruit to feed my family."

He tsked, looking disappointed. "Such beautiful hands, put to menial work. A shame. A young lady such as yourself should grace my palace halls, and touch nothing but diamonds and silver goblets."

Sakura turned pink again. No one had ever called her a lady, and the king's words made her uneasy. Surely he didn't actually intend to bring her to his castle?

"Your majesty is very kind," she mumbled, staring at the path. "I am very happy in my home."

"Have you a husband?"

"No, your majesty. My brother says I am too young for courting."

"Oh? Well, perhaps he'll change his mind soon."

Sakura did not particularly like the way he said that, and so was happy when a distraction presented itself in the form of an open clearing. She'd often come here to spend time with the wolf, and when the king spotted it he declared it was time to rest. Quickly the servants went into action, unfolding an elaborate groundcover for the two of them to sit on and then unpacking their baskets. Though Sakura had already eaten a small lunch, she couldn't help but stare at the variety of food they were setting out: an entire loaf of crusty white bread with pate to go with it, cold roasted hen, and a number of pastries.

"I like a small snack when I go hunting," the king explained, accepting a goblet of wine from a servant. Numbly Sakura took one when the servant offered it, though she'd never even tasted wine before. "To good fortune in the hunt," he proposed, and raised his glass. Meekly Sakura copied him, and he tackled his 'small snack' with enthusiasm.

"If I may ask your majesty," she finally ventured, "why is it just one particular wolf that you hunt? Surely there are so many in the forest."

"That's true," he agreed amiably, "but I want this one. I've been hunting him for a long time, you see. A little more than three years now."

Sakura gulped. For so long? The king was truly determined to see the wolf dead, and that frightened her. "But why?"

"We have a history, the wolf and I," he drawled lazily, looking off to something Sakura couldn't see. "Three years ago I killed his parents, when he was hardly more than a- a pup. He managed to escape me, however, and I've hunted him ever since. Three years… my, it has been some while, hasn't it? He must be fully grown by now. I wonder if he's taken a mate?"

For some reason that thought tickled the king, and he chuckled. Not at all sure what was so funny, Sakura kept to silence and prayed that this hunt would end soon. It must be wrong to think this, but she didn't like being in the company of the king. He made her nervous.

A shout from within the trees startled her, quickly followed by many others. The king looked up with a smile of anticipation, just before his captain burst into the clearing.

"Your majesty! They've cornered him, it's the wolf you've been seeking! I'm sure of it!"

Sakura's heart leapt into her throat and she froze, but luckily the king wasn't paying attention to her. Immediately he got to his feet and started forward, his long strides eating up the distance.

"Where? Take me, and quickly!"

"Yes, your majesty."

He'd apparently forgotten all about her, but Sakura couldn't stay here with the servants. Not with the wolf possibly trapped. Perhaps the hunters had made a mistake, but she had to see for herself. Holding her skirts up, Sakura dashed after the king.

- - - - - -

It was the wolf. Somehow the hunters had managed to corner him briefly against a patch of thorny brambles with their lances, and shouts to others brought a crowd down upon him that even he couldn't escape. Terror-stricken, Sakura watched the group surround the wolf, lances all turned inward like the spokes of a wheel as they encircled him. One or two had already poked him lightly, and some blood matted his fur. Enraged, he snarled and barked at the men who held him captive but could not see a way to break through.

And the king smiled in delight. "He is indeed, captain, that's the one I've been looking for. Excellent job. A bow and arrow."

He extended one hand and the captain hurried to furnish him with the required weapons. At an order from the underling the circle opened up, partly, allowing a clear view from man to wolf. Again the king smiled, and strung his bow.

No… helplessly Sakura looked to the wolf. He'd stopped barking, abruptly, once he saw the king. Now he dug his claws into the earth, muscles tensing as if he would leap at any moment, a deadly growl deep in his throat. Perfectly aware of the danger the arrow presented, he didn't move. But neither did he try to escape through the surrounding ring of men, his eyes bitter and boring into the king with a fury beyond words. Sakura didn't know a wolf could glare but this one was, glaring with all the bitterness and hatred of a thousand wronged victims.

The wolf _hated_ the king.

"And now," the king gloated softly, "it ends. You're mine."

He pointed the crossbow directly at the wolf's chest, at this distance a sure shot. Panic flooded Sakura and before she'd realized she'd moved she was sprinting to the king. It all happened too fast to think; she only felt the brunt of the collision and his startled grunt. Her small weight was not enough to knock him over, but the king stumbled back a few steps and dropped his bow to the ground. Frantically Sakura snatched it and tossed it as far as she could throw.

"RUN!" she shouted hysterically. "Get away!"

The wolf didn't have to be told twice. Everyone there had been shocked into immobility by Sakura's unexpected action, and in their hesitation the wolf fled. Like a brown blur he whisked past Sakura and disappeared into the trees, and too late the captain yelled for the hunters to follow. He would get away, certainly, he was too clever to be caught a second time. Only then did it occur to Sakura that she really ought to be running too, and she bolted for the trees.

Too late.

"Get her," the king ordered calmly, and she was tackled to the grass before she'd taken more than three steps. Struggling in vain against the king's burly soldiers, Sakura was dragged to her feet and held there. Dread balled up in her throat when she watched the king idly brush off his shirt, then saunter closer. There was a different look in his eyes now.

"Well, well, well," he repeated. "It seems that he took a mate after all."

Too terrified to speak, Sakura only trembled under his hard and calculating stare. When it came, the slap almost turned her head around and set her face on fire.

"You've committed a serious crime today, Sakura, you assaulted your king. I could have you killed right now." A sinister smile spread across his features, blurring in Sakura's vision as she tried to hold back tears. "But I won't. You are going to do something for me instead."

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.


	5. ch5 wolf bait

**Chapter 5**

'**wolf bait'**

Touya was home when they returned to her cabin, washing his face at the pump in their yard. He stood and dragged a sleeve across his brow to mop up the extra moisture, then froze when he saw the entourage emerging from the forest. Though he'd surely been wondering what was the cause of the royal carriage by his house, he couldn't have ever expected this.

Then he saw her, in the grip of the king's soldier, and a heartrending flash of fear crossed his face.

"Sakura -" He'd only taken two steps when the captain interceded, holding up a hand.

"Watch yourself, peasant, and greet your king."

Touya hesitated, glancing back at her briefly before turning slightly to the king and bowing. "Your majesty. I've been so worried for my sister, I'm grateful to you for returning her to our home."

The king arched his eyebrows and threw a significant look at the captain, who spoke again. "This girl is in the custody of the king's guard, boy. She is a criminal, having assaulted the king, and her life is now forfeit."

Sakura cringed when her brother gaped at her, clearly not believing the captain's words, eyes begging for an explanation. And all she could do was shake her head and whisper the words "I'm sorry" while yet more tears spilled down her face.

"Put her over there," the king directed, and pointed to the water pump. "And tie her up good."

"Wh-what are you doing? Sakur-" Again Touya tried to move toward his sister and the captain placed a warning hand on his chest, keeping him back. "She's just a girl, you can't hurt her!"

"Do you presume to tell me what I can and cannot do?" the king asked irritably. "Don't test me with your impudence, boy."

She had only another moment to meet her brother's stricken gaze before the soldiers dragged her to the family's water pump. Someone pushed her roughly to the earth and bound her wrists to the old iron spout, with a thin twine that bit into her skin and hurt. The trees of the forest swam in her vision. _Get away_, she would have told Touya if she could, _don't risk his anger by trying to save me. My life is over._

"Your majesty," he tried again, forced submission in his voice, "please. My sister is just a little girl, she meant no harm, she -"

"Take him inside," the king directed impatiently. "And better tie him up too, I don't like the way he's glaring at me."

A frantic but short scuffle behind her told Sakura that her brother had tried to resist, but he was no match for a pair of well-armed and well-trained soldiers. And in between her sobs, she could hear them dragging him away from her.

Everything was destroyed and it was all her fault.

"Pay the hunters and dismiss them," the king was saying, "I don't want too many men here – it will keep him away. I know how to shoot a wolf."

"Your majesty?" The captain looked at his king, baffled. "You think the wolf will come here?"

The king smiled at the shadows between the trees. "Oh, he will. I know this wolf, I know him as well as he knows me." His gaze meandered past the woods and back to Sakura, huddled against the old pump. "He'll come for his bitch."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat, and she hiccuped.

"Put yourself and your men out of sight, I will call for you if I need you."

The captain still looked bewildered, but did not question his king and retreated to where Sakura could no longer see. Only the king remained, and she pressed herself closer to the damp and rusted iron when he stepped closer. Kill the wolf, that's what he was going to do, and he was using her to do it. Fresh tears welled up.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered.

"Because I want to finish what I started. Tonight, he will not escape me." His large and calloused hand stroked her hair, and she cringed. "…Thanks to you."

Trying so hard to control her sobs, she didn't realize it when he bent over. His hot breath on her ear made her jump.

"Utter a sound, and that boy dies."

Sakura's heart thudded in her chest; too terrified to even nod in obedience she only trembled. The king said nothing more, and moments later she could hear his heavy tread fading away as he crossed the courtyard. Even if she'd dared, she couldn't turn to see where he'd gone.

And then everything was very quiet.

The sun was almost to the trees.

- - - - - - - - -

Under the leafy canopy of the forest, the shadows were already deep. But the fading light was no concern to him, vision was not his sharpest sense. Again he lowered his nose to the earth and sniffed, inhaling her familiar scent. The girl had been this way, but she was not alone.

He set off again, anxious to hurry but held back by the minor wounds on his left flank. He'd spent some time licking them but not much, and now a throbbing pain in his leg prevented him from anything more than a fast trot. All around him the forest was silent and tense, no evening songbirds to herald the sunset or even rustling of the squirrels above. This was more than the silence that prevailed wherever a wolf walked in the woods, this quiet ran deeper and more ominous. It was the hush before a storm.

He followed the trail of her scent back along the familiar path to her den, which he had spent many a night prowling to mark it as his own territory. Nothing moved; it was silent and still as the woods. Easier to see, though, still bathed in the light of the setting sun, and directly before him was the girl. She was alone and not very far from the trees, crumpled forlornly to the ground and smelling strongly of fear. There was no sign of any other.

Cautiously he took a few steps out from his cover and she drew a sharp breath when she saw him. Her face was streaked and red, but a fresh terror flashed through her eyes at the sight of him and she stiffened. Her mouth opened, but then closed again without speaking.

The wolf hesitated. Something was not right. Again he sniffed the air, but the breeze had died and the lingering scents were muddled. She did not seem injured, but she had not moved to greet him. And she was afraid… very afraid.

- - - - - -

Not breathing, Sakura watched the wolf for what seemed an age. He hadn't quite stepped out into the open; terrified, she tried to warn him away with her eyes. She didn't dare speak, for fear of what they'd do to her brother, but even without saying a word she could tell the wolf was wary. His eyes darted everywhere about the cabin yard, watchful and suspicious, before he finally turned his attention somewhere past her shoulder. It must be the carriage he was looking at… did he understand? Would he go away?

_Please_, she begged silently, _please go._

And, much to her surprise, he did just that. After a long moment of sniffing the air and glaring at the foreign contraption, he melted back into the underbrush and disappeared.

Sakura's heart lifted and she exhaled, but the relief stopped short when a branch cracked loudly in the evening stillness. Quickly she turned her head to the right, but she could see nothing among the trees.

Sakura's heart pounded, unnaturally loud against the quiet. The wolf was still here, she knew it just as well as she'd known he was watching her all those days. The wolf was here, somewhere, but where? Desperately wishing she could shout at him and warn him to go, Sakura searched the dark woods with her eyes and saw nothing. But if he was moving to the right, then he was moving toward the royal carriage.

Silence, again, but for her frantically beating heart. A solitary bird launched itself from a tree branch, and she jumped. Her breathing rasped painfully in her throat. Where had he gone, where _was _he?

A light scuff of sound from well behind her, to the left, was all she heard before a scream ripped the air. Her head whipped around so fast her neck hurt, and she just saw a blur of familiar brown disappear behind her cabin. At the same moment something whizzed through the air and an arrow struck the corner of the dwelling, just missing the wolf. The scream choked off and died in a sickening gurgle.

Leaning as far back from the pump as possible, Sakura craned her head around and decided the arrow must have come from within the carriage; that was where the king had chosen to hide himself. And now the wolf was behind her cabin, easy prey to another arrow if he emerged.

- - - - - -

Everyone in the cabin heard the anguished yell and predatory snarl, so close it could have been just on the other side of this wall behind Touya. His two guards snapped to attention and cried out the name of their comrade, and then the captain drew his sword.

"Stay here and watch him," he ordered his underling. "I'll check."

"Yes, sir."

The captain slipped noiselessly out the door, but the soldier was apparently disinclined to worry much about a peasant bound to the fireplace grate. Disobeying the order to watch him, the man hovered by the window and tried to see what was going on outside.

Which was just fine with Touya, who'd found a sharp point on the edge of the grate and was currently sawing his bonds across it as fast and discreetly as he could manage. Like the men guarding him, he had precious little idea what was going on. But he'd be damned if he let his sister face it alone.

- - - - - - -

Head tilted so far back she was watching the world upside down, Sakura saw the captain of the guard slip out of her cabin with sword drawn. Silently he edged towards the corner of the cabin, behind which must be the wolf. What would happen? The choice was to fight a swordsman or run into the king's waiting arrow, and neither spelled good chances for his survival. Sakura thought she must be ready to asphyxiate, it was so hard to breathe. Even the horses seemed to have picked up on the tension, and nervous hooves stamped the earth.

The captain disappeared behind the cabin, but there was no cry of attack, no wolfish snarl, or any sound at all. For a time that seemed to last forever Sakura waited and watched, until finally he emerged on the other side. If anything, he looked confused. There was no wolf.

Impossible. The wolf had to be there, she'd seen him leap behind the walls with her own two eyes. He must have killed that royal soldier, but where could he have gone?

A shrill neigh split the evening quiet and Sakura almost jumped out of her skin, so startled by the noise. The carriage horses had gone into a panic, rearing up, hooves slashing through the air, and for a moment the carriage rocked dangerously to one side.

"Your majesty!"

The captain sprinted towards the carriage and leapt upon the horses' yoke before the fastenings snapped and allowed them to gallop away with his king. Sakura just glimpsed a familiar flash of white canine teeth from beyond the animals' legs, and belatedly realized that the wolf must have fled her cabin immediately to come around behind the carriage through the trees. Now while the captain was occupied with the horses he dashed towards her, running so hard and fast that for a moment she was sure he would crash into her. Reflexively she tried to shield her face, but it wasn't necessary. The wolf passed so close he had to leap over her legs, lowering his muzzle to the earth upon descent. For one heartbeat their eyes met, his fierce glare melting with worry and fear, and then he was gone again.

But not before something dropped from his jaws and hit the dirt.

It all happened so fast she didn't even recognize it for what it was until he'd disappeared again into the woods. A knife, the same crested knife that the royal soldiers had been wearing on their belts, lay in the dust just out of reach. No doubt it had come from the slaughtered soldier behind their cabin. No time to marvel at his cleverness yet again; the captain had calmed the carriage horses and was anxiously inquiring the king if he was all right. Sakura shuffled her position and managed to push the knife close enough to the pump that she could lower her hands to the earth and reach it. She did not have much leverage, but the weapon was finely crafted and sharp. Soon the blade was slicing through rope fibers.

"You there," called the captain sharply, and she jumped. "What are you doing?"

One hand on the rump of a now-still carriage horse, the king's deputy was looking right at her and by his expression she could tell the dusk had not concealed her activity.

Faster, faster, cut faster. Frantically Sakura renewed her efforts, and he took a suspicious step forward.

_Snap._ The last of the twine broke apart and Sakura scrambled to her feet in a run.

"Stop her!" the king ordered, almost falling out of the carriage window in his urgency. "She cannot escape, she is my way to the wolf. Catch her!"

The words spurred Sakura's terror and she bolted for the trees, unconsciously running in the direction she'd seen the wolf go. The captain's heavy footsteps followed, going faster than she could run. Helplessly she heard them grow closer and louder and just when she'd passed the family's old root shed the inevitable happened. One strong hand grabbed her arm and yanked her back, throwing her roughly the earth. The impact was so severe she cried out in pain.

"Bitch," the captain swore, breathing heavily and glaring down at her from his height. "Haven't you caused your king enough trouble for the day? Lowly peasant."

Looking thoroughly fed up, he knelt to haul her to her feet and the wolf slammed into him, knocking the captain to the ground so hard his sword flew from his grip. A scream rang out through the evening, the doomed man instinctively throwing an arm across his throat to protect it from the wolf's savage bite.

- - - - -

"Captain!" his guard gasped, and the soldier tore out of the cabin with sword drawn at the ready. Frantically Touya doubled his efforts to cut through his bonds, arms aching. What the hell was going on out there?

Snarling, the wolf fought to get past his prey's arm and burrow into the vulnerable throat. Huddled on the ground and approaching mild stupefication after all that happened, Sakura watched man and beast struggle. In the near-complete darkness under the trees, she didn't see the captain's hand close over the only weapon he could find and then strike. He cracked the thick branch against the wolf's head just as canine teeth found his neck, and with a loud yelp the wolf fell aside.

Sakura shrieked. He was not dead but lying still, sprawled across the dirt, panting hard and whimpering like an injured puppy. The captain did not move; blood was all over his arm and neck and Sakura could not be sure if he breathed. A sound prompted her to look up, and she saw the other soldier burst out of her cabin.

He looked their way.

"We have to run," she gasped, and the wolf tried to stagger to his feet. Another low whine of pain told Sakura he'd never make it, and without thinking she threw herself at the wolf. Her arms encircled his chest, just behind his front legs, and she dragged him across the grass as fast as she could go. Urgency lent strength to her small body; she hardly felt the wolf's weight at all. There was only his terrible whine, and his labored breathing, and the man with a sword coming who would surely kill the wolf if given the chance. Desperate, Sakura did the only thing she could think of and dragged the wolf inside her family's roots shed.

"You! Stop right there!"

She slammed the old wooden door shut just in time, and barely managed to keep it that way when a hard weight threw itself against it. Lungs ready to explode, muscles aching, she dragged the old plow against the door and fell back against the dirt. She'd done it, she'd kept the soldier out…

And effectively trapped them both. This tiny shed held nothing but a few farm implements and some bags of potatoes, had no other exit but that door and not even a window. Too scared to think any further ahead, Sakura had dragged the wolf into his – and their – doom. Even if he was uninjured he could never escape the soldiers from this tiny enclosure.

Another bang on the door. The wolf tried again to get to his feet, looking a little dizzy and still panting hard. She could see his eyes in the moonlight streaming through gaps in the thatch roof, looking straight at her. Gold flecks within brown, the proudest and most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen.

_Bang._

Sakura burst into tears. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm sorry, he used me to find you and you tried to help me but I was stupid… I killed you. I've trapped us both and now they're going to kill us and it's all my fault I was so stupid…" The rest of her words were lost in a flood of tears, each sob ripping hot and hard from her chest. The wolf sensed her distress and moved closer, licking the salty tears off her cheeks and whining in a placating sort of way.

_Bang. _

Overwhelmed by her helplessness, Sakura embraced the wolf and wept into his fur. The wolf would soon die, because of her, and she didn't even know why. He had saved her, but she could not save him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. The door sounded as though it might be giving a little, it wouldn't take them much longer. It would all end soon, but she was still glad to have met him. He was the most wonderful thing that ever happened in Sakura's life.

She dropped a light kiss on his fur.

_Bang._

The sound seemed distant and unreal in Sakura's ears, as though the very air had suddenly stretched tight in the little shed. A rush of some peculiar feeling shot up her spine, and her skin prickled.

A thunderclap made her jump, heart beating a little faster. The evening sky had been clear just minutes earlier, she must be hearing things. Again she swallowed, but the unbearable prickling on her flesh would not go away. She rubbed her arms, then flinched and shut her eyes at the flash of gold light.

"What's happening?" she whimpered, bewildered and afraid, and reached for the comforting feel of her friend. An intense heat warned her hand away, though, so hot it brought fresh tears to her eyes. The light burned so brightly that she had to cover her eyes with her hands. Gold light and heat were everywhere, it seemed to Sakura that one of the stars must have fallen from the heavens above.

It seemed to go on forever.

When her closed eyes sensed the light had faded, she timidly opened them and had to blink several times before she could see anything at all. The purple splotches in her sight gradually faded, her night vision returned, and there was no star nor peculiar light or heat. Only her family's old root shed, with its weatherbeaten planks and sacks of produce and the gardening rake in the corner.

And the boy sitting mere breaths away from her.

Sakura blinked again, but he did not disappear. A brief gleam, like some last bit of gold light, outlined his features and then faded away. He was not a boy – young man, really – that Sakura had ever seen before, but something about his face seemed familiar to her. She was too stunned and baffled to say anything and he said nothing either, his heavy labored breathing the only sound.

He raised a hand, and stared at it. Fingers curled over his palm to create a fist, then uncurled, and with something akin to awe he touched his own face. A shuddering breath escaped him, and he closed his eyes.

"Wh-who are you?" Sakura whispered at last. He opened his eyes and looked at her, amazed disbelief still plain on his face, but did not speak. "Where is the wolf?"

"Wolf," he repeated, his lips moving slowly as if he had not spoken for a long time.

"Yes, the wolf! Where did he go?"

The mysterious boy did not seem inclined to answer. As if Sakura were something precious, he reached forward with tentative fingertips and stroked her cheek. She stiffened but did not push away, distracted by the look in his eyes. She had seen those eyes before, somewhere.

"I… can touch you," he breathed, as if the very idea was a miracle. She swallowed, and nodded. His fingers traced light lines over her cheek and across her lips, then drew away. Again he flexed an experimental fist. "My name… is Syaoran. I am- I was the wolf."

What?

Sakura's bewilderment only doubled at the enigmatic statement and automatically her eyes followed his fist when he lowered it. She only had a brief glimpse of bare chest before the boy – Syaoran – hastily slapped a hand over her eyes.

"No. No, don't look."

She squeaked in obedience, then dimly heard another bang at the door. He heard it too, and she could feel him stand.

"Just stay right there," he ordered, "and keep your eyes closed."

Heart thumping, Sakura did as he said. She heard him walk, a bit unsteadily, across the dirt floor, and heard the scraping noise when he dragged the plow away from the door. The soldier outside throwing his weight against it came tumbling through, and she cringed at the abrupt sound of fist against flesh. Something heavy crashed to the ground.

"No," he cautioned, when she turned around to see. "Not yet."

A few minutes passed, marked by odd scuffling sounds that she couldn't place. "Okay. You can look now."

She did so, just in time to see him shoving the unconscious body of the soldier back toward the wall. He'd dressed himself in the pants and outer shirt of his victim, and as she watched he buckled the belt about his waist. The sword he drew from its scabbard, and tried his grip on the hilt a few times before lowering the weapon.

"You have done more than you should," he said, before she could speak. "Please stay here, and you will be safe."

He moved to the open door of the shed and peered out into the darkness.

"But I don't understand," Sakura pleaded, feeling as though she might drown in her own confusion any moment. "How are you here? What will you do?"

"I'm going to take my kingdom back."

He slipped outside and into the night.

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Anybody sense a little action coming up? Cuz I sure do.


	6. ch6 return

**Chapter 6**

'**return'**

Alone in the darkness, in a ramshackle roots shed near an equally ramshackle cabin on the edge of the woods, a young girl curled into a ball and shivered. In the course of a day her world had turned upside down: she had dined with a king and then assaulted him, forced to help him in his quest to catch the wolf, dragged the wolf into this very shed, and watched him transform into a human. Now the boy was gone, with a final warning to stay here and that strange declaration.

_I'm going to take back my kingdom._

Sakura was just a girl, who'd never so much as left her home village, who'd never known more than the daily routine of menial peasantry. She was tired, frightened, pushed beyond the limits of any normal female. Perhaps she really had done her part, perhaps she ought to stay put. But then, if she was the type to obey orders without question, she might never have ventured into the woods and met that wolf in the first place.

So she left the roots shed. Outside it was much easier to see, thanks to the rising moon and the hundreds of stars sprinkled across the night summer sky. Silently she crept away from the doorway, seeing nothing, and peeped around the corner of the chicken coop. Right away she spotted the king, empty crossbow dangling from one hand while he searched unsuccessfully for a soldier.

"Captain? Captain! Confound it, what's going on -"

He cut himself short quite abruptly, shocked disbelief plain on his features from even Sakura's vantage point. Leaning a little further around the corner she could see what he saw: the one who called himself Syaoran. The sword he carried loosely in one hand, point down, unimportant for the moment. Sakura almost quailed at the hard glare in his eyes.

A breeze rustled the leaves. Other than that, there was no sound for many long moments.

"Well," the king finally murmured in low tones. "What a surprise this is. Syaoran… you have returned to your old self."

"I have."

"But only the kiss of a girl who truly loves you could have broken my spell."

Syaoran raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

Understanding filtered into the king's expression, and he nodded. "Oh… I see. Who would have ever guessed?"

"Not you, evidently." The king hadn't moved but Syaoran had meandered a few steps closer, that sword still dangling ominously. "How long has it been?"

"Just over three years. I have run the kingdom quite smoothly since inheriting the throne -"

"You did _not_ inherit the throne," Syaoran snarled. "You stole it. You murdered my parents – betrayed your own brother. You took the palace by force, you drove me into the woods and took even my body from me. And tonight you pay for all of it, _uncle_."

Desperately Sakura tried to make sense of the words exchanged, struggling to put it all into place. Throne? Palace? How could it belong to anyone but the king? He'd always been- well, no, her father had explained it to her. A few years ago one Li had replaced another on the throne. _Three_ years ago, to be more correct. The first king and his wife died, and also there had been a prince that disappeared. The child of the Lis named… _Syaoran._

"Merciful gods," she whispered, and sank to her knees on the earth. All this time…

The king eyed the fallen prince and his sword with a calculating air, before drawing his own.

"Your words are strong, nephew. But it has been three long years, and a wolf fights with fang and claw. Has your famous skill with the blade waned?"

Syaoran's sword snapped upright, moonlight flashing on its surface.

"Guess we'll find out."

Each of them took one small prepatory step to the right, testing. And then Syaoran attacked, hard, sprinting with a speed and suddenness that made her gasp. The king evaded it and blocked the next attack neatly, a jarring clang of metal on metal carrying through the night. Swiftly he counterattacked, his form arguing long years of practice, driving a series of short and sharp thrusts and forcing Syaoran back. At last the prince forced his blade aside and whirled, the sword whipping around in a near-complete circle to meet the king's ribs.

He only just managed to block it, that time.

They parted, breathing heavier and glaring harder. Now it was the king that attacked first, jabbing his swordpoint perilously close to Syaoran's face and missing only because the prince jumped backwards. Again he attacked and the blades clashed in a sharp staccato, every attack faster than the last until Sakura could hardly distinguish one move from another. It all came to a jarring halt when Syaoran blocked the king's downward sweep, bracing his blade just above his head, but the king was taller and pressing his advantage of strength. Syaoran kicked him hard in the chest, and the king was pushed so far off balance that he nearly fell.

Silence again, save for the breathing. Sakura wondered why Syaoran did not pursue this opening and attack again, until she saw how he too was fighting for breath, holding a hand to his side. Blood had started to seep through his thin shirt, and she remembered how the wolf had been injured.

"Your strength has begun to ebb, nephew," the king taunted. "You've fought too often today, or do you even remember it?"

"I remember," Syaoran assured him. "I remember _everything_."

"Was it horrible, watching your kingdom through a lowly wolf's eyes? Were you so desperate you even sought the company of a peasant girl -"

Syaoran snarled again and attacked, driving the king back with the sheer savagery of his thrusts. He hurried to parry and block, regained his footing and dared a jab at Syaoran's chest, only to have it swept clear so the counterstroke could slice open his neck. He barely evaded it, and Sakura could see the bright red when he put his hand over his throat and drew it away. Syaoran's breathing was extremely labored now, watching him pant she could feel every agonized breath as if it were her own.

The two opponents hung back for a moment, recovering.

"Be careful, nephew," the king spat, no longer sounding quite as confident. "Instead of playing these games I might decide to simply curse you again."

"Go ahead," Syaoran dared. "I'll rip your throat out with my own teeth if I have to. But you will _not_ survive this night."

"I was going to say the same thing to you!" With the last word the king lunged forward, ready to stab, and Syaoran sidestepped him with a mere heartbeat to spare. Sword scraped along sword and the king twisted expertly, locking his muscles and pushing the blade back down toward Syaoran's face. For a long moment the two did nothing but push against each other in a stalemate cross. From her vantage point of the ground, it was Sakura who saw the false king draw a dagger from his belt.

"Watch out!"

Did Syaoran return to his true human body unaffected after all? Did living so many years as a wild predator leave its permanent mark? Sakura would never know for certain, but at her shriek the young prince moved faster than she'd ever seen a man move. He dropped to the ground just beyond the sharp edge, bringing his legs straight up and neatly kicking the dagger out of the king's hand. In the next second he'd rolled backwards and onto his feet, barely in time to block another sweep. It was weak defense and the king exploited it, twisting his sword around Syaoran's like a serpent of steel and then jerking. The prince's sword flew some distance and Sakura's heart stopped, but the prince didn't. Without even blinking, before the king could even reverse his stroke, Syaoran bent over double and swiveled all his body into the motion. His heel struck the king on the head and caused him to stumble back, blinking. Carried by his circular momentum the prince attacked again in the same way; as if in a blur Sakura saw him sweep something off the ground.

Again the king suffered another blow to the head, groggily raised his sword, and Syaoran shot his arm straight into the center of the king's chest. Instantly he froze, horrified astonishment stark upon his face. Across his shirt, a dark stain bloomed from the dagger that had been planted there.

Syaoran only paused enough to draw another breath, and stepped back to deliver a hard kick right into the protruding hilt. It drove the dagger in so deep that no more blade was visible, and sent the defeated king right back onto the dirt. The large body hit the earth with a dull thud that made her cringe, and even from here she could see he no longer breathed. The black eyes that had intimidated her so now stared lifelessly up into the night sky.

Syaoran almost collapsed to the ground himself, dropping to hands and knees and panting for oxygen. But it seemed he couldn't bear to rest, not just yet, and crawled to the side of his treacherous uncle. When his fingers touched the neck and confirmed the man was truly dead, he bowed his head.

Then he raised it to the moon and howled, an eerie howl full of fight and of triumph. The sound raised goosebumps on Sakura's skin and checked her tentative attempt to stand; fascinated, she stared at the boy voicing the cry of a wolf. If she'd had any doubts that the two were the same, this erased them for good.

It was many heartbeats after the noise had faded away that Sakura finally nerved herself to approach him, one timid step at a time. She was still two paces away when he noticed her presence and stood, staring at her with an unreadable look in his eyes. They were so intense, she had to swallow.

"What is your name?"

His voice was low-pitched and even, his gaze direct. Surprised, she had to fumble for the simple answer. "S-Sakura. Sakura Kinomoto."

"Sakura," he repeated, softly, never looking away. Uncertainly she nodded.

"And… you- you're the prince. Aren't you?"

"That's right." At last he broke his gaze, shooting a contemptuous look at the body by his feet. "I am the prince, and now that my uncle is dead the crown returns to its rightful heir. From this day forward I assume rule of Chapeyne."

Sakura was not exactly sure what to say to that, but he was not finished.

"You are only a peasant girl. And I cannot begin my reign with a commoner by my side."

His words struck Sakura like the knife to his uncle's chest; stunned, she felt tears pricking her eyes and tried to force them back. He was the prince, of course, and just because she had saved him from his enchantment did not mean she had a place in his future. She hardly knew why she was so upset anyway, she'd only just met him…

A touch on her hand surprised her into looking up, and she found he now held it between them. There was still a touch of awe in his eyes when he watched his own fingers curl around her hand, as if he couldn't quite believe he'd been freed. Then he raised his eyes to meet Sakura's again.

"Become my princess?"

Doubly stunned, Sakura gaped. His grip on her hand tightened. "I knew I wanted you from the moment I saw you, in the woods with those bandits. And you were so brave to seek me out, kind to me even though you did not know my true nature. You are the girl I want. Come with me to my palace, and stay with me always."

Come to the palace – become a princess? The enormity of it all swept over Sakura and she cast a reflexive glance back to her cabin: the only home she'd ever known. She was only a peasant girl…

After what seemed years of silence out there the rope around Touya's wrists finally snapped, and he scrambled to his feet. Frantic to know what happened to his sister he lunged at the open doorway, but froze at the sight he beheld. A dead king lay sprawled on the ground, and beside him stood a strange boy and his sister. Touya would never know why he didn't open his mouth to call her name, the moment he spotted her, but he didn't. The silence was too expectant. As if trapped in it, he could only watch as Sakura met his gaze silently. She seemed confused.

"I love you," Syaoran added, and Sakura's eyes flew from her brother to him. Desperate need burned in his eyes, those eyes that she knew so well even if she had only just met the man behind them. Somehow, she'd loved him for a long time.

"Yes." The word came soft as the breeze blowing past them, a simple whisper that would change her life. He drew her closer, tipped up her chin, and kissed her.

_And they lived happily ever after._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - The End - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

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Peacewish: And at last we're done with that little aside, that response to a Tsukimine challenge that took merely –

Li: Three and a half months!

Peacewish: Yes, _thank_ you, Li. I was going to say that.

Li: It was supposed to take two weeks…

Peacewish: But I was busy! Moving from Thailand to America, for one thing. And then back at home it was traveling across Texas to reunite with friends and family, two weddings and a funeral, a graduation, a computer down with a virus –

Sakura: Shh, there there. No need to hyperventilate. Nobody's blaming you for anything.

Li: Speak for yourself. She turned me into a wolf. How trite and cliched can you get?

Peacewish: But it was a fairy tale challenge, Li-kun! Fairy tales are by definition trite and cliched, that's why they're so much fun. The challenge was to take one of the classics and rewrite it with you lot.

Sakura: So the fairy tale you chose was…?

Peacewish: The Frog Prince, or what I could remember of it, anyway. I have a problem recollecting fairy tales that haven't been made into a major feature movie by Disney. All I could recall was that a prince had been turned into a frog, and a girl's kiss turned him back. But when's the last time you saw a frog kick anyone's ass? I changed it to wolf for the action element.

Li: (suspiciously) It had nothing to with my name? Really?

Peacewish: Um, of course not! I'd be a hack fanfic writer if I stooped to such levels! Oh, by the way, there's been some popular support for the continuation of that Biker! Li fic I wrote for a Shrine challenge some while back.

Li: (whimpers)

Sakura: Politics?

Peacewish: Nah, not too much. There was a vague hint there from Touya in the first chapter that the kingdom had become more dangerous since the new king took over, which implies he wasn't doing a very good job of running the place. But I never went into detail just why or how. We'll just go with a basic 'government sucks eggs' and call it a day.

Li: Thank goodness.

Peacewish: I would like to address a number of the reviews, which complained this story wasn't up to my usual standards and a disappointment. Um… you're right?

Li: Whoa.

Sakura: She was so candid.

Peacewish: Look at the facts, guys, and you're sure to see why. This was a challenge. It wasn't meant to take more than a couple of weeks, which meant I had a mere day to organize my thoughts and get started. A day. When I started Wild Flower, I spent _three_ _months_ scribbling character biographies, plotting the story arcs, and making notes on the setting. You can't even compare a story like that to this one. Frivolous fluff, and nothing more. I didn't even bother to name my original characters, just sketched out a basic plot and went with it.

Gorrell: We all know the king was really me though, right?

Li: You're dead, shut up.

Peacewish: So, in a way, I was really flattered by those reviews because I'm glad my readers have really high standards for me. But I can't be so pressured by expectations that every story has to be weighed against the last, because I'm afraid then I'll get too intimidated to even start one. I need to know I've at least got the freedom to write silly little fairy tales like this and enjoy doing it. I did enjoy this tale, by the way, and I'm glad others did too.

Sakura: Lots of screen time for me, anyway.

Peacewish: Don't get used to that. Now that this is and Coffee Girl are out of the way, I'm instituting a ban on new fics until I get a job.

Li: (chokes and hits the ground)

Peacewish: Glad to know you're taking it well, Li. Excuse me if I'm just a little cynical that you're more worried about your precious action scenes than my ability to feed and clothe myself.

Li: YOU CAN'T QUIT!

Peacewish: Oh, do shut up. I'm still doing challenges and I've got Tomoeda Drama to deal with, so I have rather a lot on my plate. NO, I have not forgotten any of those fics I've hinted at and that everyone has repeatedly asked about, but it just doesn't seem like a wise time to distract myself. I need a job! If I could get paid for writing fanfic, that would be awesome, but Clamp would probably have an issue with it and I don't really see myself buying a house on the earnings anyway. So, yeah. Until I procure myself a job and move out and just generally become a self-sufficient individual in the free market – that's it. See you all when that happens.

(blows kiss)


End file.
